


Vow

by Flightless_Bird



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), I don’t know what else to tag lol, Thought-Heavy, Violence, endgame spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 06:21:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18614917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flightless_Bird/pseuds/Flightless_Bird
Summary: “Smiling his triumph, Thanos raised the gauntlet again. In the streaking flames of war and destruction, he looked to Tony like he had when he'd held a blade through his stomach. “I,” he intoned, “am inevitable.”(SPOILERS for endgame! I wanted to rewrite this scene to explore thoughts behind it)





	Vow

**Author's Note:**

> I am dead. I will cry for the next twenty four hours. Dammit.   
> I just wanted to explore this even a little more, as it killed me in the worst way.   
> I hope you like :3

It was like watching everyone vanish in ashes all over again, to see Carol blasted away by the Power Stone. To see the gauntlet around Thanos’ hand. To see the pulse of each stone beat like a heart.

In the middle of chaos and fire, Tony watched it happen. He saw Carol—Captain fucking Marvel—be thrown away in an instant by those stones. And it was all nothing compared to the absolute havoc they would wreak in one second.

He saw it happen.

Glancing over at Stephen again, he met his eyes. It was a desperate plea: _I thought you said there was a way we won._

Shoulders falling as though he was sighing in defeat, Stephen wordlessly lifted his hand. And raised one finger.

People often say that they don't realize their moment until after it happens. The split second of time when they make a choice that is momentous in its simplicity, cascades across their future unlike anything else. It was never a moment that could be felt at the time it was made.

Tony felt his. And he knew.

_There was no other way._

A smile curved Thanos’ mouth as he lifted the gauntlet high, reveling. Then he stumbled as Tony crashed into him. _Come on come on!_ Raking his hands over the gauntlet, Tony scrabbled for purchase in the seconds he had against Thanos. Then a fist was slamming into him and he was thrown back hard. The memories of Titan flashed through his mind, of being utterly destroyed in every way by this thing. He closed his eyes.

Smiling his triumph, Thanos raised the gauntlet again. In the streaking flames of war and destruction, he looked to Tony like he had when he'd held a blade through his stomach. “I,” he intoned, “am inevitable.” He snapped his fingers.

And then looked to the gauntlet in startled confusion.

Nothing happened. He turned it over, eyes widening at the empty places where the stones had been. Realization dawned, and he looked back.

With the roiling world all around, Tony lifted his hand to show the stones sparking across the back of his suit’s gauntlet. They latched into place and pain like no other fired up his arm. He gritted his teeth and bore it—because this was it. This was the choice.

This was

Pepper

Morgan

Peter

Rodey

Stephen

Natasha

Bruce

Thor

Clint

This was the blade in his side, Pepper’s smile, Peter holding him close, Morgan’s laugh, the Arc Reactor placed in his chest like a vow, this was flying into the wormhole, and watching JARVIS become human, this was the one way.

In the end, the choice wasn't hard. In any universe, in any reality, in any war,

he would always choose them.

Bent on one knee, Infinity Stones reflecting searing brilliance off his armor, Tony Stark looked Thanos in the eye. “And I,” he said, “am Iron Man.”

He snapped his fingers.


End file.
